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LETTER 


FROM  THE 


it  E  V.  ,1.  MITCHELL 


RELATIVE  TO 


COLONIZATION. 


20 


' 


RESOLUTIONS. 


Resolved,  That  the  Itev.  J.  Mitchell,  agent  of  the  American  Coloni¬ 
zation  Society,  be  respectfully  requested  to  furnish  to  this  house,  at 
his  earliest  convenience,  answers  to  the  following  questions,  viz : 

1st.  Should  the  state  of  Illinois  determine  to  establish  a  settlement 
on  the  coast  of  Africa  for  the  accommodation  of  the  colored  people, 
where  will  be  the  best  point  which  his  judgment  would  indicate  fi*p 
all  the  information  in  his  possession  for  the  establishment  of  such  set¬ 
tlement  ? 

2d.  What  will  be  the  probable  cost  of  procuring  an  extent  of  ter¬ 
ritory  sufficient  for  that  purpose  ?  Its  location,  health,  fertility,  nat¬ 
ural  production,  and  other  inducements  for  such  a  settlement  ? 

3d.  What  is  the  character  of  the  soil  of  Liberia,  nature  of  the 
climate,  character  of  the  inhabitants  and  government. 

4th.  What  are  the  reasons  for  stimulating  emigration  to  Liberia  ? 

5th.  How  much  does  it  cost  to  transport  emigrants  to  Liberia  ? 

6th.  What  is  the  number  of  the  colored  people  in  Illinois,  and  the 
probability  of  prevailing  upon  them  to  emigrate,  or  to  what  extent,  and 
other  suggestions  he  may  see  fit  to  make  in  relation  to  the  subject  of 
colonization. 

Resolved ,  That  the  secretary  be  requested  to  furnish  Mr.  Mitchell 
with  a  copy  of  the  foregoing  as  soon  as  possible. 


tA(cAL 

ii 


CORRESPONDENCE. 


H  /  . 

Springfield,  Ill.,  January  4,  1855. 

Hon.  T.  J.  Turner,  Speaker  oj  the  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  state  of  Illinois  : 

Sir  : — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  resolu¬ 
tion  of  inquiry,  in  relation  to  the  subject  of  African  colonization,  which 
was  adopted  by  your  branch  of  the  general  assembly  on  the  3d  inst. 

,  And  I  herewith  respectfully  submit  an  answer  thereto. 

Yours  with  great  resnect. 

J.  MITCHELL, 

Agent  Colonization  Society. 


Springfield,  January  3d,  1855. 

To  the  Hon.  Speaker  and  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives  oj 

the  state  oj  Illinois  : 

Gentlemen  : — I  hereby  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  resolution 
of  inquiry,  in  relation  to  African  colonization,  communicated  by  your 
clerk,  and  with  great  pleasure  I  will  attempt  an  answer  to  the  points 
found  therein. 

1st.  You  desire  to  know  the  proper  point  on  the  African  coast ,  to 
which  the  attention  of  your  people  might  be  directed,  as  a  location 
for  a  new  settlement  for  the  benefit  of  your  free  people  of  color,  who 
may  be  disposed  to  emigrate  to  Africa. 

In  answer  to  this  we  will  say  that  in  my  opinion  Grand  Cape  Mount, 
»nd  the  adjoining  country,  is  the  most  desirable  point  on  which  our 
western  states  can  expend  their  labor  and  attention,  in  the  work  of 
planting  settlements. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  points  on  that  coast;  the  country 
around  is  high  and  rolling,  and  remarkably  well  watered,  being  like- 


3 


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wise  very  fertile.  Cape  Mount  is  a  bold  head  land,  rising  gradually 
to  an  elevation  of  1,060  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  ;  those  high 
lands  are  covered  with  a  heavy  forest.  Within  a  few  miles  of  the 
cape  the  Passou,  or  Gape  Mount  river,  discharges  itself  into  a  smell 
bay,  formed  by  the  projection  of  Cape  Mount  on  the  south  and  Manna 
point,  eight  miles  above  on  the  north;  into  this  bay  another  river,  the 
Sugury,  flows.  These  streams  are  not  of  the  first  class,  but  they  are 
navigable  for  boats  some  distance  from  the  mouth. 

The  most  western  point  of  this  cape  is  in  latitude  6  deg.  44  min. 
25  sec.  north,  and  in  11  deg.  23  min.  16  sec.  west  longitude,  and  it  is 
about  50  miles  west  north-west  of  Monrovia  the  capital  of  the  repub¬ 
lic  of  Liberia. 

Grand  Cape  Mount  is  generally  the  first  point  of  land  that  meets 

the  eye  of  our  emigrants  as  they  approach  the  African  coast,  on  their 
voyage  to  Liberia,  and  from  its  northern  location  and  natural  advan¬ 
tages^  it  must  become  one  of  the  most  important  commercial  points  ir 
Liberia.  Indeed  it  has  always  been  a  place  somewhat  noted  foi 
trade,  and  thousands  of  dollars  have  changed  hands  annually  at  thal 
point;  it  beinfr  a  few  years  ago  a  notorious  and  successful  slave  mart 
costing  the  United  States,  England,  and  JFrance  much  trouble  tc 
watch  it. 

Of  this  country,  J.  N.  Lewis,  then  secretary  of  state  for  Liberia 
writes  in  the  following  strong  terms  : — “Should  we  ever  succeed  ir 
making  a  purchase  of  that  country,  it  will  be  at  a  very  dear  rate;  the 
people  are  far  more  intelligent  than  any  of  the  tribes  within  our  juris1 
diction  ;  their  state  of  living  is  very  expensive,  and  I  am  quite  certafr 
that  they  would  charge  $5,000  at  least  for  it — and  so  it  will  be  fo] 
any  of  the  territories  lying  between  it  and  the  Sherbro  river,”  (whicl 
borders  the  English  settlement  on  the  south;)  “we  cannot  say  hoy 
far  if  extends  into  the  interior,  it  is  a  very  large  and  beautiful  coun 
try,  and  I  presume  the  people  near  the  sea  will  say  that  it  extend: 
back  a  great  distance.” 

A  few  years  ago  President  Roberts  negotiated  with  native  chief: 
for  this  country,  and  secured  the  jurisdiction  of  all  the  lands  in  th< 
vicinity  of  the  cape. 

Of  the  above  location  President  Roberts  thus  writes  to  us: — “Ther< 
are  several  locations  within  our  jurisdiction  between  this  place  ano 
Sierra  Leone  for  settlements,  and  may  be  occupied  at  the  shortes 
notice.  I  would  recommend  Grand  Cape  Mount,  which  is  a  fertih 
and  well  watered  country,  and  possesses  many  inducements  or  natu 
ral  advantages  to  new  emigrants,  and  the  natives  are  exceedingl; 
anxious  to  have  an  American  settlement  near  them.” 

Mr.  J.  Ashmon  represents  the  inhabitants  of  this  country  as  supe 
rior  to  their  southern  neighbors  “in  intellectual  endowments,  urbanit; 
ol  manners,  profound  dissimulation,”  and  because  of  “their  professioi 
of  the  Mohamedan  faith,  they  being  the  dividing  tribe  between  Mb 
hamedan  and  Pagan  Africa ;  he  represents  them  as  remarkable  fo 
sobriety,  perseverance,  activity  and  avarice,  and  likewise  for  extrem 
jealousy  of  the  interference  of  strangers,  either  in  their  trade  or  ii 
their  territorial  jurisdiction,  or  their  civil  affairs.”  The  name  b; 


5 


[301  j 

vJiich  this  tribe  is  known  is  the  Fey  or  Vey  nation,  and  their  number 
is  about  ten  or  fifteen  thousand.  A  nation  called  the  Day  tribe  occu- 
pies  the  territory  between  Cape  Mount  and  Monrovia,  who  are  far 
inferior  to  the  Veys  in  every  respect;  they  are  a  Pagan  tribe  about 
t£n  thousand  in  number. 

In  the  time  of  Ashmon  the  trade  of  Cape  Mount  and  country  adjoin¬ 
ing  was  stated  at  uJifty  thousand  dollars .” 

In  addition  to  the  above,  we  will  quote  an  extract  from  the  report 
of  Rev.  J.  McKay,  the  colored  agent  of  the  Indiana  State  Board  of 
Colonization,  who  visited  Liberia  last  year,  and  spent  eighty-three 
days  in  that  country,  and  on  his  return,  his  report  was  published  by 
that  board.  He  says — “The  cape  and  country  adjoining  appeared  to 
me  the  most  beautiful  scene  I  ever  beheld.  Like  many  others  I  had 
regarded  that  country  as  a  barren  and  desolate  waste,  but  I  found 
myself  much  mistaken  on  this  point,  as  the  whole  country  was  cov¬ 
ered  with  a  heavy  forest  of  fine  trees,  of  great  variety  and  excellent 
quality  for  timber,  springing  up  from  a  soil  of  great  fertility.” 

2d.  The  cost  of  territory  at  Grand  Cape  Mount,  is  a  matter  that 
must  be  determined  by  correspondence  with  the  authorities  of  Liberia, 
as  that  country  has  passed  into  their  hands. 

However,  we  have  no  doubt  but  lands  can  be  procured  on  the  most 
reasonable  terms.  The  following  extract  of  a  letter  addressed  by 
President  Roberts  to  the  Indiana  State  Board  of  Colonization  on  this 
subject,  may  not  be  out  of  place  : 

“  The  government  ol  Liberia  will  readily  allot  a  section  of  land  in 
\he  Grand  Cape  Mount  district,  for  the  location  of  emigrants  from  the 
state  of  Indiana  ;  and  will  assign  to  such  emigrants  town  or  farm 
lots,  under  existing  regulations  of  this  government ;  which  may  be 
increased  in  quantity,  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Indiana  board,  by  pur¬ 
chase  from  the  government  at  the  established  rates  for  public  lands, 
or  at  prices  agreed  on  between  this  government  and  the  Indiana 
board,  and  the  title  from  the  government  vested  immediately  in  the 
citizen  emigrant. 

u  I  have  now,  sir,  only  to  add — waiving  the  proposition  for  a  grant 
of  land — that  the  government  of  Liberia  will  be  most  happy  to  co¬ 
operate  with  the  Indiana  State  Colonization  Board,  in  any  measures 
it  may  think  proper  to  adopt  for  carrying  out  its  benevolent  objects, 
in  reference  to  securing  a  home  in  Liberia  for  the  colored  people  of 
that  state.” 

No  doubt  the  same  line  of  policy  will  be  pursued,  should  you  apply 
for  a  portion  of  those  lands — and  it  is  likely  the  price  will  be  nominal. 

3d.  The  third  point — the  Jertility  of  the  country  around  Cape 
Mount — has  been  fully  answered  in  the  above  communications  of 
Roberts,  Lewis,  and  McKay,  who  all  concur  in  representing  it  as  a 
delightful  and  desirable  country. 

4th.  On  their  evidence,  likewise,  we  must  believe  it  to  be  a  healthy 
region ;  and  the  fact  that  the  native  tribes  who  formerly  owned  the 
country,  were  the  most  warlike,  robust,  and  intelligent  of  all  tribes 
on  that  coast,  is  strong  proof  that  the  climate  at  that  point  is  con¬ 
genial  to  human  life,  health,  and  vigor  of  mind. 


6 


[302  ] 

5th.  The  next  point  presented  is  the  character  of  the  soil  of  Libe¬ 
ria.  Liberia,  extending  as  it  does,  about  700  miles  along  the  coast, 
from  the  southern  limit  of  Sierra  Leone,  to  the  southern  limit  of  the 
Cape  Palmas,  or  Maryland  colony,  must  needs  embrace  quite  a 
variety  of  soil,  differing  in  appearance,  quality,  and  productiveness. 

That  of  the  uplands,  though  generally  much  inferior  to  that  of  the 
lowlands,  is  better  adapted  for  some  articles.  The  upland  soil 
usually  consists  of  a  reddish  clay,  more  or  less  mixed  with  soft  rocks 
and  stones,  containing  considerable  quantities  of  iron.  There  are 
three  kinds  of  lowland  soil,  one  of  which  is  that  on  the  banks  of  the 
rivers,  within  a  few  miles  of  the  sea;  this  consists  of  a  loose,  deep, 
black  mould,  which  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  growth  of  those  kinds 
of  vegetables  which  thrive  best  during  the  dry  season.  Another  va¬ 
riety  is  that  which  is  generally  found  extending  back  from  the  banks 
of  the  river,  further  from  the  sea  than  the  first  named;  it  consists  of  a 
light  clay,  more  or  less  tempered  with  sand,  and  is  well  adapted  to 
almost  every  kind  of  vegetables  which  thrive  in  tropical  climates. 
The  third  quality  is  that  of  the  lowlands,  in  the  immediate  vicin¬ 
ity  of  the  ocean,  consisting  principally  of  sand,  and  it  is  really 
astonishing  to  perceive  how  well  many  vegetables  will  grow  in  this 
kind  of  soil,  even  within  fifty  yards  of  the  ocean  in  some  places.” 

The  above  remarks  are  drawn  from  a  series  of  articles,  published 
a  short  time  past  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Lugenbell,  who  for  many  years  w as 
the  principal  physician  in  Liberia,  and  likewise  acted  as  American 
agent  for  the  care  of  re- captured  Africans.  His  statements  on  those 
points  are  founded  on  careful  and  long  observation.  * 

In  addition  to  these  remarks,  we  will  give  an  extract  from  a 
communication  of  Mr.  Ashmun,  one  of  the  first  agents  of  the  coloni¬ 
zation  society,  who  spent  many  years  in  Liberia,  and  was  the  prin¬ 
cipal  instrument,  under  a  wise  Providence,  in  giving  stability  to  the 
foundations  of  the  colon)'.  The  communication  referred  to,  is  a 
manual  called  the  Liberia  Farmer,  or  Colonist’s  Guide,  addressed 
to  the  colonists,  the  truthfulness  of  which  has  never  been  questioned. 
He  says  : 

“  The  soil  of  Liberia  depends  for  its  quality  much  on  the  situation 
of  the  lands.  The  uplands  have  tw  o  varieties  of  soil.  The  first  is 
that  strong  and  deep  mould  which  is  always  found  where  the  hard, 
brown  granite  rocks  are  most  numerous.  This  soil  is  certainly 
very  capable  of  being  turned  to  a  very  profitable  accouut.  Observe 
everywhere  in  the  beds  of  those  rocks,  the  thrifty  and  strong  growth 
of  timber.  The  largest  trees  are  commonly  found  in  such  situa¬ 
tions.  This  is,  however,  a  wet  season  soil,  and  must  not  be  expected 
to  give  you  a  crop  in  the  dry  months.  I  shall  call  this  the  strong 
upland  soil. 

“The  other  species  of  upland  soil  is  of  a  much  inferior  quality.  It 
consists  of  a  reddish,  clayey  earth,  everywhere  more  or  less  mixe^d 
with  soft,  rust-colored  rocks,  stone  and  gravel.  The  red  color  of  the 
soil  and  rocks  is  caused  by  the  rust  of  the  iron  particles  mixed  with 
it.  Manure  may  in  time  render  it  productive  ;  but  the  best  mode  yet 
discovered  to  fertilize  this  soil  is  to  burn  over  the  surface  in  clearing 


7  r 303  ] 

*  the  land,  and  to  spread  small  quantities  of  ashes  or  lime  over  it,  after 
the  first  crop.  I  shall  distinguish  this  as  the  weak  upland  soil. 

“There  are  three  sorts  of  lowland  soil.  The  first  and  richest  is 
,  that  formed  on  the  sides  of  the  rivers,  and  from  the  wash  of  the  up¬ 
lands  it  is  always  wet  during  the  rains,  and  consists  of  a  loose,  deep, 
black  mould,  and  is  entirely  free  from  rocks  and  gravel.  This  soil 
will  produce  any  crop  which  you  choose  to  plant,  but  is  especially 
adapted  to  early  rice,  and  to  all  those  vegetables  which  thrive  in  dry 
seasons.  I  shall  call  this  the  black  lowland  soil. 

“The  second  variety  of  soil  in  the  bottom  land  I  shall  name  the  stiff 
clayey  soil.  It  consists  of  a  lightish  colored  clay,  sometimes  a  little 
tempered  with  coarse  sand.  It  is  the  subject  of  the  extremes  of  wet 
and  drought,  but  produces  good  crops,  and  may  be  much  improved 
by  manuring. 

“  The  sandy  soil  is  the  third  variety  found  in  the  level  country.  It 
is  most  prevalent  wherever  the  land  has,  in  course  of  time,  gained 
t#  upon  the  ocean  or  channels  of  rivers.  It  is  a  light,  warm  soil,  and 
will  yield  only  slender  crops  without  manure.  Sweet  potatoes,  beans, 
cassada,  and  succulent  fruit  trees  will  succeed  best  in  it.” 

In  andfcher  part  of  the  manual  on  agriculture,  from  which  the  above 
is  taken,  Mr.  Ashmun  thus  addresses  the  colonists  : 

“The  flat  lands  around  you,  and  particularly  your  farms,  have  as 
good  a  soil  as  can  be  met  with  in  any  country.  They  will  produce 
two  crops  of  corn,  sweet  potatoes,  and  several  other  vegetables  in 
the  year.  They  will  yield  a  larger  crop  than  the  best  soils  in  Ameri- 
*  ca,  and  they  will  produce  a  number  of  very  valuable  articles,  for 
which,  in  the  United  States,  millions  of  money  are  every  year  paid 
away  to  foreigners.  One  acre  of  rich  land,  well  tilled,  will  produce 
you  three  hundred  dollars’  worth  of  indigo.  Half  an  acre  may  be 
made  to  grow  half  a  ton  of  arrow  root.  Four  acres  laid  out  in  cof¬ 
fee  plants  will,  after  the  third  year,  produce  you  a  clear  income  of  two 
or  three  hundred  dollars.  Half  an  acre  of  cotton  trees  will  clothe 
your  whole  family,  and,  except  a  little  hoeing,  your  wife  and  children 
can  perform  the  whole  labor  of  cropping  and  manufacturing  it.  One 
acre  of  cane  will  make  you  independent  of  all  the  world  for  the  sugar 
you  use  in  your  family.  One  acre  set  with  fruit  trees  and  well  attend¬ 
ed,  will  furnish  you  the  year  round  with  more  plantains,  bananas, 
oranges,  limes,  guavas,  pawpaws  and  pineapples  than  you  will  ever 
gather.  Nine  months  of  the  year  you  may  grow  fresh  vegetables 
every  month,  and  some  of  you  who  have  lowland  plantations  may  do 
so  throughout  the  year.” 

The  general  correctness  of  the  above  remarks  is  thus  indorsed  by 
the  Rev.  R.  R.  Gurley,  who  was  sent  out  by  President  Taylor  to  ob¬ 
tain  information  in  regard  to  Liberia.  After  quoting,  in  his  report,  the 
above  paragraph,  he  says  : 

v  “My  observations  on  the  banks  of  the  rivers  of  the  republic,  (es¬ 
pecially  the  St.  Paul’s,  the  St.  John’s,  and  the  Sinou,)  along  both 
sides  of  Stockton  creek,  and  among  the  gardens  of  Monrovia,  and 
the  plantations  in  its  vicinity,  confirmed  my  belief  in  the  general  cor¬ 
rectness  of  this  statement.” 


6.  Your  next  inquiry  relates  to  the  natural  production*  of  Liberia. 
We  will  answer  this,  partly  by  quoting  the  language  of  Dr.  Lugen- 
beil,  and  partly  that  of  Ashmun  : 

“Nearly  all  the  different  kinds  of  grain,  roots  and  fruits  which  are 
peculiar  to  inter- tropical  climates  thrive  well  in  Liberia;  and  many 
garden  vegetables  which  belong  more  properly  to  temperate  climates 
may  be  raised,  in  quality  not  much  inferior  to  the  same  kind  of  arti¬ 
cles  produced  in  climates  peculiarly  adapted  to  their  growth.  But 
the  principal  articles  of  product,  and  which  are  destined  to  be  the 
great  staples  of  that  country,  are  rice,  cotton,  sugar  and  coffee  ;  to 
which  must  be  added  “corn,  cassada,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  arrow  root, 
Lima  and  other  beans,  peas,  cabbages,  turnips,  beets,  carrots,  toma¬ 
toes,  cymlings,  chiota,  ochra,  cucumbers,  many  varieties  of  pepper, 
ground  nuts,  palrna  christi,  the  india  rubber  tree,  the  croton  oil  tree, 
and  the  palm  tree,  and  among  their  fruits  the  Liberians  number  the 
orange,  lemon,  limes,  guava,  pine  apple,  plantain,  banana,  tamarinds, 
rose  apples,  pomegranates,  cherries,  cocoa  nuts,  pawpaws,  mango 
plums,  alligator  pears,  patango,  bread  fruit,  arellous,  and  various  val¬ 
uable  vegetables  and  fruits  of  the  tropics.  Most  of  these  have  I  my¬ 
self  seen  growing  luxuriantly  in  the  gardens  and  farms  of  thl  repub¬ 
lic. 

“According  to  the  late  Mr.  Buxton,  whose  researches  on  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  the  agricultural  and  commercial  resources  of  Africa  were  very 
accurate  and  extensive,  of  dye-woods  there  are  an  abundance,  yield¬ 
ing  carmine,  crimson,  red,  brown,  brilliant  yellow  and  blue  ;  of  gums 
there  are  copal,  Senegal,  mastic  and  Sudan  or  Turkey  gum.  The  she 
or  butternut  is  hardly  less  valuable  than  the  palm  nut.  The  tree  pro¬ 
ducing  it  is  said  to  extend  over  a  large  portion  of  the  continent.  Park 
thought  the  butter  made  from  it  superior  to  that  made  from  cow’s 
milk. 

“No  country  in  the  world  is  more  amply  enriched  than  this  is  with 
the  chief  productions  of  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdoms.  The 
ground  nut  yields  a  pure  golden  colored  oil  of  a  pleasant  taste,  and 
has  been  sold  as  high  as  £50  per  ton,  (about  $240.)  The  castor  nut 
grows  wild  on  the  banks  of  the  Gambia  and  elsewhere.  The  ginger 
of  Africa  is  particularly  fine  and  high-flavored  ;  it  yields  about  sixty 
for  one,  and  the  people  only  want  method  for  preparing  it  for  the  Eu¬ 
ropean  market. 

“The  wroods  of  this  continent  are  extremely  valuable.  Travelers 
enumerate  not  less  than  forty  species  of  timber,  which  grow,  in  vast 
abundance,  and  are  easily  obtained,  such  as  mahogany,  lignumvitse, 
rose  wood,  &e.,  &c. 

“With  few  considerable  exceptions  the  whole  line  of  coast  in  West¬ 
ern  Africa  accessible  to  trading  vessels,  presents  immense  tracts  of 
lands  of  the  most  fertile  character,  which  only  require  the  hand  of  in¬ 
dustry  and  commercial  enterprise  to  turn  into  inexhaustible  mines  of 
wealth.” — Gurley’s  Report. 

The  rivers  of  Liberia  are  the  St.  Paul’s,  St.  John’s,  the  Junk  river, 
Half  Cape  Mount,  Mechlin,  the  New  Cess,  the  Grand  Cess,  the  San- 
guen,  the  Sinon ;  and  in  the  new  purchase  there  is  the  Gallinas,  Soly- 


9 


r  305  1 

*  man,  Manna,  Sugury  and  Grand  Cape  Mount  river  ;  to  which  we  may 
add  the  Shebar.  The  rivers  of  Liberia  are  not  very  large,  although 
some  of  them  are  from  one-fourth  to  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide,  for 
t  fifty  miles  or  more  from  their  entrance  into  the  ocean. 

A  graphic  description  of  the  general  aspect  of  the  country  is  given 
in  the  following  language,  by  Rev.  J.  Day,  the  superintendent  of  the 
Southern  Baptist  Mission,  who  resides  in  Bexley,  on  the  St.  John’s, 
and  who  has  explored  the  interior  for  seventy  or  seventy-five  miles  : 

“From  seven  to  twenty  miles  the  country  is  beautifully  undulating, 
and  interspersed  with  the  most  lovely  rills  of  excellent  water,  clear 
as  crystal,  foaming  and  scolding  among  the  rocks,  presenting  a  thou¬ 
sand  mill  seats.  The  air  in  that  region  is  salubrious  and  bracing,  the 
soil  deep  and  rich,,  covered  with  a  forest  which,  for  the  height  and  size 
of  the  trees,  I  have  never  seen  equalled.  From  twenty  to  thirty  miles 
is  a  region  of  small  mountains,  of  from  three  to  five  hundred  feet  in 
elevation.  These  mountains  are  covered  with  a  rich  forest,  and  may 
be  cultivated.  I  have  stood  on  the  summit  of  one  of  them  cultiv  ated 
to  the  topj  and  thence  beheld  a  delightful  prospect.  Beyond  these 
hills,  or  mountains,  as  we  call  them,  the  land  becomes  generally  more 
level  to  the  distance  of  seventy  miles,  the  extent  of  my  interior  tra¬ 
vels.  I  am  told  by  the  natives  that  a  day’s  walk  beyond  are  loftier 
mountains,  which  it  will  require  a  whole  day  to  ascend,  and  very 
steep.  If  this  is  the  case,  the  country  I  speak  of  is  a  valley.  The 
soil  of  the  whole  distance  is  rich,  water  abundant  and  good,  and  the 
cause  of  disease  is  no.  more  apparent  than  in  level  regions  in  America. 
If  our  people  want  health,  they  may  as  surely  obtain  it  in  the  moun¬ 
tainous  region  as  by  trans-Atlantic  trips.  J  have  left  home  in  bad 
health,  on  preaching  tours,  of  two  or  three  weeks,  and  returned  vig¬ 
orous  and  strong.  The  birds  sing  more  sweetly  there,  and  the  flow¬ 
ers  are  more  beautiful  and  fragrant  than  in  the  marshy  region  border¬ 
ing  on  the  sea.  The  natives  are  more  industrious,  honest,  happy  and 
hopeful  every  way  in  that  region.  To  thousands  in  that  forest-clad 
region  have  I  preached,  while  they  were  as  attentive  even  as  congre¬ 
gations  in  America. 

“The  principal  domestic  animals  in  Liberia  are  cows  or  black  cat¬ 
tle,  sheep,  swine,  geese,  turkeys,  ducks  and  chickens.  Horses  are 
plentiful  in  the  interior,  within  three  hundred  miles  of  the  coast,  but 
they  do  not  thrive  well  in  the  settlements,  in  consequence,  principally, 
of  the  want  of  proper  management.” 

7.  The  climate  is  congenial  to  those  who  inhabit  that  country,  and 
there  is  nothing  essentially  destructive  to  life  or  health  therein,  but 
the  general  testimony  is  that  the  native  tribes  and  those  American 
settlers  who  have  been  acclimated,  enjoy  good  health. 

Mr.  Gurley,  in  his  report,  says  :  “From  my  own  experience  of 
two  months  on  the  coast  of  Liberia,  I  may  be  allowed  to  sajr  that  my 
impressions  of  the  African  climate  are  more  favorable  than  those  I 
had  derived  from  books  ;  for  although  our  arrival  occurred  during  the 
latter  portion  of  what  is  called  the  rainy  season,  and  we  continued  on 
the  coast  during  most  of  the  transition  period  from  that  to  the  dry 
season,  the  weather  was  generally  clear  and  pleasant,  and  we  were 


[306] 


10 


seldom  deterred  for  an  entire  day  from  visiting  the  shore,  or  from 
moderate  physical  exertion, 

“No  one  can  look  upon  the  athletic,  finely  proportioned  and  devel¬ 
oped  forms  of  native  Africans,  or  upon  a  congregation  of  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  of  Monrovia,  or  of  the  other  towns  and  villages  of  the  Liberian 
Republic,  and  retain  the  idea  that  health  cannot  be  enjoyed  on  the 
African  coast.  The  general  aspect  of  the  people  of  Liberia  is  healthy, 
and  I  am  convinced,  from  much  observation  and  many  inquiries,  that 
the  dangers  of  the  climate  to  colored  emigrants  are  becoming  less  and 
less  formidable,  and  that  they  will,  to  a  good  degree,  be  averted  by 
the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  an  appropriate  regimen,  and  increased  med¬ 
ical  experience  and  skill.5’ 

To  the  above  we  will  add  the  testimony  of  Dr.  Lugenbell : 

“On  the  whole,  I  regard  the  climate  of  Liberia  decidedly  pleasant, 
notwitstanding  the  scorching  rays  of  the  tropical  sun,  and  the  ‘abund¬ 
ance  of  rain5  which  falls  during  the  months  of  June,  July,  September 
and  October.  So  far  as  the  pleasantness  of  the  climate  and  weather  is 
concerned,  I  would  decidedly  prefer  a  residence  in  Liberia  to  one  in 
any  part  of  the  United  States. 

“The  extreme  of  the  thermometrical  state  of  the  atmosphere  may  be 
set  down  at  65  degrees  and  90  degrees.  I  have  never  heard  of  the 
mercury  in  a  good  thermometer  having  sunk  below  the  former,  nor 
arisen  above  the  latter  point  in  the  shade.  The  average  height  of  the 
mercury,  during  the  rainy  season,  may  be  set  down  at  about  76  de¬ 
grees,  and  during  the  dry  season  at  84  degrees.  .  The  mean  tempera¬ 
ture  for  the  year  is  about  80  degrees.55 

From  these  figures  it  will  be  seen  that  th'e  heat  of  Liberia  is  not  ex¬ 
cessive,  nor  is  it  as  great  as  in  some  points  in  the  south  of  our  own 
country,  where  the  thermometer  frequently  stands  as  high  as  90  deg. ; 
add  to  this  the  fact  that  cold  winters,  cold  nights,  and  the  cold  and 
snow  of  this  country  are  unknown  there,  and  we  will  be  able  to 
comprehend  the  reason  why  those  who  have  visited  Liberia  consider 
the  climate  desirable. 

8.  As  to  the  character  of  the  inhabitants  of  a  country,  we  general¬ 
ly  form  a  correct  opinion  by  examining  their  institutions  ;  and  if  we 
are  thus  to  judge  the  Liberians,  we  must  form  a  high  opinion  of  them; 
for  their  institutions,  so  far  as  formed,  are  of  the  most  liberal  and  en¬ 
lightened  character,  and  the  people  themselves  have  made  a  very  fa¬ 
vorable  impression  on  the  minds  of  those  who  have  Visited  them.  In 
evidence  of  which  I  will  quote  a  few  extracts: 

“They  (the  colonists)  considered  that  they  had  started  into  new 
existence,  felt  proud  of  their  attitude,  and  seemed  conscious  that  while 
they  were  founders  of  a  new  empire,  they  were  prosecuting  the  no¬ 
ble  purpose  of  the  regeneration  of  the  land  of  their  fathers.  I  was 
pleased  to  observe  that  they  were  impressed  with  the  importance  of 
education,  not  only  for  their  own  children,  but  for  those  of  the  na¬ 
tives.  That  there  are 'many  vast  sources  yet  undeveloped  in  Liberia, 
no  one  can  doubt, ;  and  that  they  will  soon  be  brought  forth  and  made 
available  by  the  enterprize  and  intelligence  of  the  colonist,  is  equally 
unquestionable.55 — Capt .  Kennedy ,  U.  S.  JYavy. 


11 


[  307  ] 

>  “Nothing  struck  me  as  more  remarkable  than  the  great  superiority 

in  intelligence,  manners,  conversation,  dress,  and  general  appearance 
in  every  respect,  of  the  people  over  their  colored  brethren  in  Ameri¬ 
ca.  I  saw  no  intemperance,  nor  did  I  hear  a  profane  oath  uttered  by 
any  one.  I  know  of  no  place  where  the  Sabbath  appears  to  be  more 
respected  than  in  Monrovia.  Most  of  the  settlers  appear  to  be  rapid¬ 
ly  acquiring  property.” — Capt.  Abels  ^  Emigrant  Ship. 

“The  youth  of  the  colonies  discover  an  eager  desire  for  improve¬ 
ment  ;  and  their  progress,  considering  their  opportunities,  is  almost 
incredible.  Among  the  men  of  Monrovia  there  is  a  larger  proportion 
of  good  accountants  and  elegant  penmen,  than  in  any  town  (Ameri¬ 
can)  of  his  acquaintance.” — Gov.  Buchanan. 

“The  character  of  these  industrious  colonists  is  exceedingly  cor¬ 
rect  and  moral ;  their  minds  strongly  impressed  with  religious  feel¬ 
ings  ;  their  manners  serious  and  decorous,  and  their  domestic  habits 
remarkably  neat  and  comfortable.  The  complete  success  of  this  col¬ 
ony  is  a  proof  that  negroes  are,  by  .proper  care  and  attention,  as  sus¬ 
ceptible  of  the  habits  of  industry  and  the  improvements  of  social  life, 
as  any  other  race  ;  and  that  the  melioration  of  the  condition  of  the 
black  people  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  by  means  of  such  colonies,  is  not 
chimerical.” — A  British  JYaval  Officer. 

9.  “  The  Government  of  Liberia  is  based  on  the  principles  of  re¬ 
publicanism  ;  and  in  every  essential  particular  it  may  be  regarded  as 
a  miniature  representation  of  the  government  of  the  United  States  ; 
the  only  particular  point  of  difference  being  in  the  name  of  the  nation¬ 
al  assembly,  which  is  styled  legislature  instead  of  congress,  and  in 
the  time  of  service  of  the  principal  officers  of  the  government.  The 
president  is  elected  by  the  popular  vote  for  two  years,  and  he  is  eligi¬ 
ble  to  re-election.  The  senators,  of  whom  there  are  two  from  each 
county,  are  elected  for  four  years,  and  the  representatives  are  elect¬ 
ed  for  two  years.  The  only  cabinet  officers  who  have  yet  been  com¬ 
missioned  are  the  secretary  of  state  and  of  the  treasury,  and  the  attor¬ 
ney  general.  All  the  officers  of  justice  are  appointed  by  the  president 
with  the  consent  of  the  senate.  The  judicial  power  of  the  republic  is 
vested  in  a  supreme  court,  a  court  of  quarter  sessions  in. each  county, 
and  magistrate’s  courts,  which  meet  monthly.  No  white  person  is 
allowed  to  become  a  citizen.” — Dr.  Lugenbell. 

Such  is  the  country,  and  such  are  the  institutions  of  Liberia. 

10.  The  cost  of  transporting  emigrants  and  finding  them  in  provi¬ 
sions  for  six  months,  will  average  about  $'60  per  emigrant.  This  has 
been  considered  all  sufficient  to  provision  them  during  the  voyage, 
and  give  them  a  reasonable  start  in  Liberia.  But  sound  policy  will 
dictate  a  liberal  course  in  regard  to  such  as  go  from  this  state. 

11.  The  number  of  colored  persons  living  in  Illinois  at  this  time  is 
between  five  and  six  thousand.  If  these  people,  in  connection  with 
the  colored  people  of  Indiana,  would  remove  to  Liberia,  they  are  suf¬ 
ficiently  strong  to  lay  the  foundation  of  a  new  state  of  respectable 
size ;  and  amongst  them  they  can  number  some  men  of  decided  abili¬ 
ty,  who  would  control  a  republic  much  better  than  some  of  our  French 
neighbors. 


12 


[  308  ] 


12.  As  to  the  number  of  colored  persons  in  Illinois  who  would  be 
willing  to  emigrate  to  Africa,  we  are  unimformed.  Indeed,  we  have 
not  the  acquaintance  necessary  to  answer  this  point,  in  its  special  ap¬ 
plication  to  this  state,  but  we  can  furnish  a  few  points  of  general  infor¬ 
mation  in  answer  thereto. 

We  discover  from  several  indications  and  signs,  that  there  is  an  emi¬ 
gration  movement  now  in  agitation  amongst  the  free  people  of  color, 
not  only  in  this  state,  but  throughout  all  the  free  states,  and  the  result 
of  this  agitation  has  created  two  parties  amongst  them.  One,  resolved 
to  remain  in  the  United  States,  and  struggle  for  equal  rights,  civil  and 
social,  until  success  crowns  their  efforts.  The  other  believes  it  un¬ 
wise  and  impolitic  thus  to  contend  against  the  determination  of  the 
white  race  not  to  amalgamate  with  the  black — and  therefore  have  re¬ 
solved  to  separate  from  them  as  soon  as  possible.  The  first  named 
party  held  a  convention  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  from  which  they  have 
sent  out  an  address  to  the  American  people,  and  at  which  they  passed 
resolutions,  in  which  we  find  the  following  sentiments  : — uWe  ask 
that  the  doors  of  the  school-house,  the  work-shop,  the  church, 
the  college,  shall  be  thrown  open  as  freely  to  our  children  as  to  the 
children  of  other  members  of  the  community55 — “that  the  complete 
and  unrestricted  right  of  suffrage,  which  is  essential  to  the  dignity 
even  of  the  white  man,  be  extended  to  the  free  colored  man  also.55 
such  are  a  few  of  the  sentiments  of  the  first  named  party,  which  has 
been  stirred  into  being  by  the  growing  disposition  of  the  colored  man 
to  emigrate.  They  have  formed  a  national  council,  consisting  of  two 
representatives  from  each  state,  “for  the  purpose  of  improving  the 
character,  and  developing  the  intelligence,  maintaining  the  rights  and 
organizing  a  union  of  the  colored  people  of  the  free  states.55 

In  opposition  to  this  party,  the  second  named  is  growing  into  form 
and  taking  position,  and  undoubtedly  it  will  be  the  successful  one  in  the 
end.  Its  great  idea  or  principal  is  emigration,  or  a  separation  of  the 
white  and  colored  races.  We  find  them  using  the  following  senti¬ 
ments.  One  of  their  number  thus  writes  :  “We  have  a  case  that  di¬ 
rectly  accords  with  our  condition — that  is,  the  Israelites  in  the  land  of 
®§yP^*  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  land  of  Egypt  would  have 
sustained  that  people,  and  the  Almighty  could  have  changed  the  hearts 
of  the  rulers  to  have  ceased  to  oppress  them.  But  Divine  Wisdom 
had  another  way  to  consummate  His  eternal  purposes,  and  that  was 
by  emigration.55 

This  party  called  a  convention  to  meet  in  Cleveland,  last  August, 
to  discuss  the  question  of  emigration.  From  that  call  we  quote  the 
following  extract : 

“The  question  is  not  whether  our  condition  can  be  bettered  by  emi¬ 
gration,  but  whether  it  can  be  made  worse.  If  not,  then  there  is  no 
part  of  the  wide-spread  universe  where  our  social  and  political  con¬ 
dition  are  not  better  than  here  in  our  native  country,  and  nowhere  in 
the  world,  as  here,  proscribed  on  account  of  color. 

“We  are  friends  to,  and  ever  will  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  by  our 
brethren  and  all  true  friends,  in  all  good  measures  adopted  by  them 
lor  the  bettering  of  our  condition  in  this  country,  and  surrender  no 


13 


[  309  J 

right  but  with  our  last  breath ;  but  as  the  subject  of  emigration  is  of 
vital  importance  and  has  ever  been  shunned  by  all  delegated  assem¬ 
blages  of  our  people  as  heretofore  met,  we  cannot  longer  delay,  and 
i  will  not  be  farther  baffled  ;  and  deny  the  right  of  our  most  sanguine 
friend  or  dearest  brother,  to  prevent  an  intelligent  inquiry  into,  and 
the  carrying  out  of  these  measures,  when  this  can  be  done  to  our  en¬ 
tire  advantage,  as  we  propose  to  show  in  convention — as  the  West  In¬ 
dies,  Central  and  South  Africa — the  majority  of  which  are  peopled  by 
our  brethren,  or  those  identified  with  us  in  race,  and  what  is  more, 
destiny,  on  this  continent — all  stand  with  open  arms  and  yearning 
hearts,  importuning  us  in  the  name  of  suffering  humanity  to  come,  to 
make  common  cause,  and  share  one  common  fate  on  the"  continent. 

“The  convention  will  meet  without  fail,  at  the  time  fixed  for  assem- 
bling,  as  none  but  those  favorable  to  emigration  are  admissible ;  there¬ 
fore  no  other  gathering  may  prevent  it. 

“We  must  make  an  issue,  create  an  event,  and  establish  a  position 
for  ourselves.  It  is  glorious  to  think  of,  but  far  more  glorious  to  car¬ 
ry  out.” 

That  call  was  responded  to,  and  a  convention  was  held  on  the  24th, 
25th,  and  26th  of  August.  The  following  are  a  few  of  the  sentiments 
found  in  the  published  reports  of  its  doings  : 

“The  platform,  or  declaration  of  sentiments,  sets  forth  things  very 
much  to  the  point — among  them,  that  the  colored  people  of  the  Union 
have  been  looking,  hoping,  and  waiting  in  expectation  of  realizing 
the  blessings  of  civil  liberty,  depending  upon  their  ‘white  fellow-coun¬ 
trymen5  to  effect  for  them  that  desirable  end,  but  in  vain  ;  ‘instead  of 
which  they  have  met  with  disappointment,  discouragement  and  deg¬ 
radation  ;5  ‘that  no  people  can  have  political  liberty  without  the  sove¬ 
reign  right  to  exercise  a  freeman’s  will;5  ‘that  a  people  who  are  lia¬ 
ble,  under  any  pretext  or  circumstances  whatever,  to  enslavement  by 
the  laws  of  a  country,  cannot  be  free  in  that  country;5  that,  as  a  people, 
they  will  never  be  satisfied  or  contented  until  they  are  acknowledged 
‘a  necessary  constituent  in  the  ruling  element  of  the  country  in  which 
they  live  ;5  ‘that  the  liberty  of  a  people  is  always  insecure  who  have 
not  absolute  control  over  their  own  political  destiny;5  ‘that  they  shall 
ever  cherish  ‘their  identity  of  origin  and  race,  as  preferable,5  in  their 
estimation,  ‘to  that  of  any  other  people.5  55 

The  “Report  on  the  Political  Destiny  of  the  Colored  Race,55  after 
discussing  quite  elaborately  the  condition  of  that  race,  here  and  else¬ 
where,  says  :  “Having  glanced  hastily  at  our  political  position  in  the 
world  generally,  and  the  United  States  in  particular — the  fundamen¬ 
tal  disadvantages  under  which  we  exist,  and  the  improbability  of  ever 
attaining  citizenship  and  equality  of  rights  in  this  country — we  call 
your  attention  next  to  the  places  of  destination,  to  which  we  shall  di¬ 
rect  emigration.  They  desire  it  “distinctly  to  be  understood — that 
in  the  selection  of  (their)  places  of  destination — (they)  do  not  advo¬ 
cate  the  southern  scheme  as  a  concession,  nor  yet  at  the  will  or  de¬ 
sire  of  (their)  North  American  oppressors,  but  as  a  policy  by  which 
(they)  must  be  the  greatest  possible  gainers,  without  the  risk  or  pos¬ 
sibility  of  loss  to  (themselves).55  They  say:  “In  no  period  since  the 


[310] 


14 


existence  of  the  ancient  enlightened  nations  of  Africa,  have  the  pros¬ 
pects  oi  the  black  race  been  brighter  than  now.”  *  *  *  uWe 

must  take  advantage  of  these  favorable  feelings,  and  strike  out  for  our¬ 
selves  a  bold  and  manly  course  of  independent  action  and  position.” 

*  *  “Can  we  be  satisfied — amid  the  advantages  which  now 

present  themselves  to  us — with  the  degradation  and  servility  inherit¬ 
ed  from  our  fathers  in  this  country?”  *  *  *  “A  secondary 

position  was  all  they  asked  for;  we  claim  entire  equality  or  nothing.” 

*  *  “No  !  neither  is  it  true  that  the  United  States  is  the 

country  best  adapted  to  our  improvement.”  *  *  *  “But 

that  country  is  the  best  in  which  our  manhood — morally,  mentally  and 
physically — can  be  best  developed — in  which  we  have  an  untrammel¬ 
ed  right  to  the  enjoyment  of  civil  and  religious  liberty.”  *  *  * 

“When  the  condition  of  the  inhabitants  of  any  country  is  fixed  by  legal 
grades  oi  distinction,  this  condition  can  never  be  changed  except  by 
express  legislation.  And  it  is  the  height  of  folly  to  expect  such  ex¬ 
press  legislation,  except  by  the  force  of  some  irresistible  internal  po¬ 
litical  pressure.  The  force  necessary  to  this  imperative  demand  on 
our  part  we  can  never  obtain,  because  of  our  numerical  feebleness.” 

*  *  *  “The  rights  of  no  oppressed  people  have  ever  yet  been 

obtained  by  a  voluntary  act  of  justice  on  the  part  of  the  oppressors.” 

*  *  *  “Where,  then,  is  our  hope  of  success  in  this  country?  Upon 

what  is  it  based?  Upon  what  principle  of  political  policy  and  sagacious 
discernment  do  our  political  leaders  and  acknowledged  great  men — 
coloreu  men  we  mean — justify  themselves  in  telling  us — and  insisting 
that  we  shall  believe  them,  and  submit  to  what  they  say — to  be  pa¬ 
tient,  remain  where  we  are ;  that  there  is  a  ‘bright  prospect  and  glo¬ 
rious  future  before  us  in  this  country.5  55 

These  extracts  express  the  sentiment  of  the  Cleveland  colored 
convention  faithfully,  and  the  report  inclines  to  favor  the  south — Cen¬ 
tral  America  and  the  West  Indies  ;”  but  “should  any  thing  occur  to 
prevent  a  successful  emigration”  thither,  they  have  no  hesitancy,  rath¬ 
er  than  remain  in  the  United  States,  should  the  Canadas  still  continue 
separate  in  their  political  relation  from  this  country,  to  recommend  to 
the  great  body  of  (their)  people  to  remove  to  Canada  West.”  The 
selection  of  a  location,  however,  is  left  to  commissioners  to  be  chosen 
to  visit  and  investigate  for  them. 

This  spirit  of  emancipation  will  not  subside ;  for  just  in  propor¬ 
tion  to  the  increase  of  refinement  and  knowledge  amongst  the  free 
people  of  color,  just  in  the  same  ratio  will  the  desire  for  independence 
increase ;  and  if  the  moral  improvement  of  the  race  is  what  it  should 
be,  a  conflict  of  races  will  be  avoided  by  a  peaceful  separation,  as 
proposed  in  the  above  report. 

In  this  light  of  the  subject  I  have  always  advocated  education  for 
the  colored  man,  not  only  as  a  just  claim,  but  likewise  as  a  means  of 
stimulating  separation — trusting  that  an  all-wise  Providence  will  ac¬ 
company  this  just  act  with  such  an  amount  of  moral  influence  on  the 
hearts  of  the  colored  race,  and  will  prompt  them  to  wise  and  peaceful 
measures  in  the  attainment  of  independence,  which,  according  to 
the  best  light  we  now  have,  will  be  a  separation  of  the  races . 


THE  POLITICAL  ARGUMENT. 


In  answering  your  fourth  question,  we  will  give  but  two  general 
reasons  lor  stimulating  by  liberal  legislation  the  removal  of  the  negro 

race  fiom  this  republic  to  Liberia.  The 'political  and  the  moral  argu¬ 
ments.  ” 

The  first  is  comprehended  in  the  necessity ,  policy ,  and  justice  of 
separating  the  white  and  colored  races  of  this  republic. 

It  must  be  admited  that  a  crisis  has  arrived  in  the  history  of  this 
republic,  which  will  torce  the  question  of  the  relation  of  the  white 
and  colored  races  therein,  more  on  your  attention  than  it  has  hitherto 
received.  That  man  must  be  blind  indeed  who  will  deny  the  existence 
of  such  a  crisis,  and  unworthy  the  position  of  an  American  statesman 
who  will  refuse  to  consider  the  dangers  connected  therewith.  Long 
cherished  purposes  of  abolitionism  on  the  one  hand,  and  equally 
formidable  projects  of  slavery  propagandism  on  the  other,  have  pro¬ 
duced  sectional  irritation  and  angry  feelings,  which  from  their  age 
have  become  cronic ;  and  now  give  their  diseased  and  sickly  tone  to 
the  whole  legislation  and  policy  of  the  federal  government,  and  un¬ 
favorably  affect,  to  a  great  extent,  the  local  policy  of  each  state  in 
the  confederacy;  and  likewise  enters  in  some  form  into  the  qualifying 
test  of  all  candidates  for  office. 

What  will  be  the  end  of  this  state  of  things  ?  becomes  a  question  of 
importance  to  political  economists;  whether  they  be  statesmen  in  ac¬ 
tive  service,  or  private  citizens  who,  from  their  retired  position, 
calmly  observe  the  course  of  public  events — and  we  trust  that  this 
question  will  receive  at  your  hands,  as  the  representatives  of  an  im¬ 
portant  state,  that  grave  consideration  that  its  merits  demand. 

The  justice,  and  policy ,  together  with  the  necessity ,  of  separating  at 
some  future  time,  the  white  and  negro  races  of  the  United  States; 
and  the  humanity,  and  wisdom  of  constructing  at  some  proper  point 
a  negro  republic— will  be  the  point  of  this  argument. 

As  an  introduction  we  will  state  a  few  propositions,  and  amongst 
them  we  must  rank  that  noted  one,  sometimes  abused,  but  nevertheless 
worthy  of  the  first  place  in  the  list — 

All  men  are  created  free  and  equal. 

A  separate  and  independent  subsistence  for  the  great  families  or 
races  of  men,  is  clearly  marked  out  by  the  Divine  ruler. 


16 


[312] 

Society  is  an  ordinance  of  heaven,  having  for  its  object  the  happi- 
ness,  prosperity,  and  peace  of  its  members. 

Governments  are  designed  to  guard  the  peace,  prosperity  and  hap¬ 
piness  of  society,  and  to  remove  all  political  evils. 

A  homogeneous  population  is  necessary  to  the  existence  of  a  sound 
republic. 

Slaves  and  peasants,  deprived  of  the  right  of  citizenship,  and  suf¬ 
fering  social  degradation,  are  incompatible  with  the  genius  of  repub¬ 
licanism. 

The  United  States  of  North  America  should  be  a  pure  republic. 

A  family,  and  that  collection  ot  families  which  constitutes  a  repub¬ 
lic,  have  the  right  beyond  all  organic  law  to  say  who  shall,  or 
who  shall  not,  be  received  into  their  bosom  and  made  members  of 
their  society. 

The  American  people,  in  the  exercise  of  this  right,  admitted  the 
white  race  and  rejected  the  black. 

There  is  no  political  salvation  for  another  race  that  comes  in  con¬ 
flict  with  the  European  race,  but  in  fusion  with  it.  All  others  that 
conflict  with  it  will  be  borne  down  by  it. 

No  two  races,  kept  distinct  by  the  refusal  of  the  stronger  race 
to  fuse  with  the  weaker,  can  dwell  together  in  the  same  country  on 
terms  of  social  equality. 

The  colored  population  of  this  country  cannot  be  other  than  a  class 
of  peasants,  if  excluded  from  white  society. 

Where  men  are  truly  religious  and  moral,  the  white  and  black  races 
of  the  United  States  do  not  mix — so  the  influence  of  religion  will 
never  effect  a  fusion,  or  destroy  the  right  of  choice  in  the  parties. 

A  heterogeneous  population,  that  will  not  amalgamate,  sooner  or 
later  becomes  a  turbulent,  restless,  and  revolutionary  population. 

The  separation  of  the  races,  and  the  erection  of  the  colored  race 
into  an  independent  and  separate  commonwealth,  are  the  true  and 
only  remedies  for  the  disabilities  of  the  colored  race. 

Unfortunately  for  the  United  States,  we  have  the  elements  of  much 
national  disturbance  and  social  immorality  among  us,  in  the  form 
of  two  incompatible  races,  whose  interests  must  forever  clash  so 
long  as  they  remain  distinct  races,  and  there  is  no  likelihood  that 
their  present  relation  will  change,  or  that  they  will  become  blended 
into  one  people. 

However,  the  great  mass  of  the  colored  race  in  this  land  are  held 
as  slaves,  and  with  this  relation  of  master  and  slave,  the  inhabitants 
of  free  states  are  pledged  not  to  interfere — and  we  should  sacredly 
observe  our  pledges — but  whilst  man  thus  sacredly  keeps  his  pro¬ 
mises  to  his  fellow  man,  what  may  not  Providence  do  with  this  insti¬ 
tution.  In  the  coming  age  of  revolutions  that  must  sweep  over  our 
globe  with  terrific  and  renovating  power,  it  will  be  impossible  for 
our  country  to  escape  the  lightning’s  flash  and  thunder’s  stroke,  with 
such  a  colossal  attraction  and  conductor  as  the  institution  of  Ameri¬ 
can  slavery  in  our  midst,  which  rears  its  head  amongst  the  gathering 
clouds  that  portend  the  coming  storm.  Oh,  no!  slavery  will  be  modi¬ 
fied  by  a  series  of  providences  before  many  years,  and  it  is  likely 


17 


«  i^] 

that  tens  of  thousands  will  be  emancipated  ;  and  in  the  course  of  a 
few  ages  all  will  be  set  free.  But  this  act  ot  emancipation,  when 
consummated,  \yill  leave  that  large  mass  of  our  fellow-beings  in  a 
%tate  of  serfdommr  social  slavery.  For  white  society  will  refuse  to 
receive  them  intd  its  bosom,  or  in  other  words,  the  white  race  will  not 
amalgamate  with  the  blacks.  Therefore,  the  stronger  must  be  the 
rulers  still,  and  the  weaker  the  servile  ones. 

A  heterogeneous  population,  that  will  not  amalgamate,  sooner  or 
later  becomes  a  turbulent  population,-  and  civil  war  and  bloodshed 
follow  as  a  matter  of  course.  This  has  been  the  past  history  of  those 
nations  which  are  cursed  with  a  differerice  of  race,  and  what  has  been 
true  of  other  countries  will  be  true  of  the  United  States,  unless  we 
apply  a  remedy  to  the  evil  that  afflicts  us. 

With  the  opponents  of  the  remedy  of  separation,  we  agree  that 
“all  men  are  created  free  and  equal  but  we  cannot  believe  that  it 
follows,  as  a  consequence,  that  all  men  should  inhabit  the  same  state 
or  territory,  or  dwell  in  the  same  city.  But,  on  the  contrary,  we 
believe  it  to  be  in  keeping  with  sound  policy,  and  the  morality  of  a 
peaceful  religion  which  we  profess  as  a  nation,  to  apply  the  remedy 
of  separation  to  conflicting  families  or  races  of  men,  whose  interests 
are  constantly  clashing,  and  who  cannot  be  reduced  to  a  state  of  so¬ 
cial  equality.  Such  we  believe  to  be  the  state  of  the  white  and  col¬ 
ored  races  of  the  United  States. 

Separation  is  41  compromise  for  the  sake  of  peace  ;  to  avoid  the 
divisions  of  society  into  political  factions,  of  which  color  would  be 
J  the  line  ;  to  enable  the  colored  man  to  enjoy  uninterruptedly  all  the 
rights,  and  exercise  the  franchise  of  a  freeman.  Is  not  such  a  com¬ 
promise  right,  if  it  can  be  effected  ?  Is  it  not  justified  by  the  spirit 
tof  Christianity  ?  We  think  it  right  and  just,  and  give  as  an  illustra¬ 
tion  of  this  compromise  the  cam  of  Abraham  and  Lot,  who  were  the 
controllers  of  large  households,  and  became  the  fathers  of  nations. 
On  one  occasion,  their  families,  or  rather  their  retainers  and  servants, 
quarreled  about  the  right  to  the  soil  or  domain ;  and  these  two  good 
men  found  it  necessary  to  settle  this  quarrel  by  a  compromise,  and 
the  result  was,  they  separated  their  families  and  became  the  occu¬ 
pants  of  distant  and  different  lands. 

Nor  will  it  do  to  put  off  the  application  of  this  remedy  too  long,  for 
already  the  spirit  of  strife,  from  this  very  question  of  a  difference  of 
race,  has  commenced  this  cruel  work  of  disorganization.  Like  & 
demon  of  great  malignity  he  has  entered  the  ecclesiastical  and  civil 
councils  of  the  land,  and  sowed  the  seeds  of  strife  there,  and  that  seed 
is  rapidly  ripening,  and  has  produced  strife  and  disunion  in  many 
cases.  Religious  men,  who  were  bound  by  the  strongest  bonds ,  have 
been  rent  asunder,  and  arrayed  each  other  in  a  hostile  attitude,  and 
are  now  at  war  with  such  weapons  as  they  dare  to  use.  Whilst  the 
statesmen  of  the  land,  and  the  great  political  bodies,  are  now  survey¬ 
ing  the  field  of  future  conflict ;  calculating  their  strength  ;  choosing 
their  positions;  and  preparing  for  a  war  of  more  than  words,  and 
^although  a  friend  to  “compromise,”  yet  we  fear  that  the  elements  of 
trouble  are  not  removed  by  the  compromise,  nay  we  know  they  are 
21 


18 


[314] 

not  removed — for  as  yet  no  practical  remedy  has  been  applied  to 
slavery,  the  great  root  of  the  evil. 

Nor  will  it  do  to  say  that  the  mere  abolition  of  slavery  will  remove 
the  evil-— indeed  it  leaves  the  evil  complained  of  untouched — for  two 
distinct  races  will  remain  in  the  land  to  curse  the  country  with  their 
strife  for  social  pre-eminence  ;  and  just  in  proportion  as  the  light 
which  has  been  withheld  too  long  from  the  colored  population  is 
poured  in  upon  them,  in  the  same  proportion  will  their  demand  for 
social  equality  become  bold  and  threatening,  until  considering  for¬ 
bearance  no  longer  a  virtue,  they  will  make  their  demand  at  the 
point  of  the  sword.  Soldiers  may  laugh  at  such  a  prospect,  and  glory 
in  such  sport  as  crushing  the  servile  armies  might  afford.  But  men 
of  peace  love  not  such  things,  *  and  deprecate  such  times,  although 
afar  off. 

There  are  but  two  remedies  for  the  evil,  a  fusion  of  the  races ,  or 
a  total  separation .  The  application  of  the  first  remedy  always  de¬ 
pends  on  the  choice  of  the  stronger  race.  And  the  exercise  of  the 
choice  for  or  against  involves  no  moral  quality,  so  that  a  refusal  on 
the  part  of  the  white  race  to  blend  with  the  black  cannot  be  considered 
a  sin.  And  so  long  as  the  right  of  choice  remains  to  man  and  is  un¬ 
touched  by  lav/,  human  or  divine,  so  long  white  men,  who  are  honor¬ 
able  and  virtuous  and  fear  God  and  regard  his  law,  will  choose  white 
company  to  the  rejection  of  black.  Nor  is  this  criminal  in  them.  Nor 
can  you  compel  the  American  people  to  act  otherwise,  unless  you  can 
show  a  clear  law  that  will  coerce  to  fusion. 

Hence  those  who  are  resting  their  hopes  on  the  future  influence  of 
the  gospel,  are  cherishing  a  false  hope.  For  the  influence  of  the  gos¬ 
pel  is  to  make  morals  pure.  And  whenever  morals  are  pure  then  the 
races  never  fuse,  but  the  line  between  them  is  well  defined.  The  white 
man  being  a  dignified  and  upright  superior ,  and  the  colored  man  being 
a  moral  and  respectable  inferior.  Nor  can  the  colored  race  escape 
from  this  inferiority  in  society ;  nor  can  those  of  us  who  would  save 
him  from  it  do  so  as  long  as  he  remains  in  contact  with  white  men.  The 
poor  colored  man  is  like  the  sickly  tree  that  stands  in  the  grove,  he  is 
overshadowed  by  a  stronger  race  that  shoots  up  to  the  heavens  and 
spreads  its  branches  to  the  light — casting  a  destructive  shade  on  all 
below-— a  transplantation  is  the  only  salvation  in  either  case. 

The  enthusiast  may  preach  a  different  doctrine,  and  tell  us  that  he 
makes  no  difference  on  account  of  color — he  tells  us  that  which  is 
false,  his  actions  and  the  company  he  keeps  contradict  his  words,  the 
companions  of  his  children  and  associations  of  his  domestic  circle  are 
standing  witnesses  against  him.  Compel  him  to  choose  between  two 
young  men  of  equal  moral  worth,  equal  talents  and  equality  of  wealth, 
but  differing  in  color,  one  being  white  and  the  other  black — compel 
him  to  choose  one  of  the  two  for  a  kinsman,  and  his  choice  will  fall  on 
the  white  man,  and  because  of  color  even  he  will  make  a  difference. 

So,  unless  we  choose ,  the  colored  man  cannot  become  our  social 
equal.  But  the  American  people  do  not  choose  to  make  him  a  social 
equal,  and  there  is  no  law  that  can  compel  them  to  do  this.  The  con¬ 
sequence  is  the  colored  man  must  stand  far  below  par  because  of  his 


19 


[315  j 

color,  and  from  this  disability  lie  can  never  escape  ;  he  carries  it  with 
1/  him  wherever  he  goes,  and  colored  men  are  compelled  to  take  a  se¬ 
condary  place  in  society  and  remain  in  a  lower  grade,  which  classifi¬ 
cation  of  citizens  in  grades  is  incompatible  with  the  genius  of  this  re- 
y  public  and  will  sap  the  foundation  of  democracy. 

This  being  the  unpleasant  state  of  things  in  the  United  States,  a 
peaceful  separation  of  the  races  should  be  devised  and  carried  out  as 
soon  as  possible,  for  the  good  of  both ;  and  upon  this  separation  an  in¬ 
dependent  commonwealth  of  colored  people  should  be  formed  in  which 
the  colored  race  might  be  free  from  our  dictation  and  control. 

Many  of  the  most  intelligent  and  independent  colored  men  of  the 
northern  states  are  now  convinced  that  a  peaceful  separation  of  the 
races  is  the  most  religious  way  of  disposing  of  this  vexed  question. 
Hence  we  find  them  advocating  continental  colonization. 

It  is  clear  to  the  calm  observer  that  the  colored  race  of  North  Ame¬ 
rica  have  been  in  a  state  of  pupilage  amongst  us,  and  our  great  crime 
is  not  the  work  of  holding  the  colored  man  in  bonds  as  an  apprentice 
or  a  scholar,  but  we  have  held  him  as  a  slave,  and  withheld  the  instruc¬ 
tion  which  lie  should  have  received-— this  lias  been  the  crime  of  the 
south.  However,  the  effect  of  the  connection  which  the  colored  man 
has  had  with  the  white  race,  has  been  to  school  him,  and  bring  him 
forward  to  a  state  of  intellectual  maturity.  But  the  days  of  his  ma¬ 
jority  have  arrived,  and  it  is  time  to  make  provision  for  a  suita¬ 
ble  home.  This  is  the  duty,  we  conceive,  of  the  stronger  and  guardian 
race. 

We  have  no  sympathy  for  that  class  that  can  curse  the  colored  man 
i  in  their  heats,  and  then  for  political  purposes  cry  down  the  inhumanity 
of  the  separationists ;  and  we  have  very  little  with  those  superficial 
philanthropists  who  would  retain  the  colored  man  in  this  land,  that  he 
may  be  used  as  a  servant.  We  would  give  him  all  the  rights  of  man — 
but  this  the  abolitionists  will  not,  cannot  do,  in  evidence  of  which  read 
the  following  extract  from  “  Jay’s  Inquiry. 

“  One  of  the  designs  falsely  imputed  to  them,  (the  abolitionists,)  is 
that  of  bringing  about  an  amalgation  of  colors  by  intermarriages.  In 
vain  have  they  again  and  again  denied  any  such  design ;  in  vain  have 
their  writings  been  searched  for  any  recommendation  of  such  amalga¬ 
mation.  No  abolitionist  is  known  to  have  married  a  negro,  or  to  have 
given  his  child  to  a  negro;  yet  has  the  charge  of  amalgamation  been 
repeated  and  re-repeated,  until  many  no  doubt  honestly  believe  it. 

“No  one,  in  the  possession  of  his  reasoning  faculties,  can  believe  it 
to  be  the  duty  of  white  men  to  select  black  wives  ;  and  the  abolition¬ 
ists  have  given  every  proof  the  nature  of  the  case  will  admit,  that  they 
countenance  no  such  absurdity.  It  has  been  found  expedient  to  ac¬ 
cuse  it  of  aiming  at  social  equality.  He  must  be  deeply  imbued  with 
fanaticism,  or  rather  insanity,  who  contends  that  because  a  man  has  a 
dark  skin  he  is  therefore  entitled  to  a  reception  in  our  families  and  a 
t  place  at  our  tables.  We  all  know  white  men  whose  characters  and 
habits  render  them  repulsive  to  us,  and  whom  no  consideration  would 
induce  us  to  admit  into  our  social  circles,  and  can  it  be  believed  that 
abolitionists  are  willing  to  extend  to  the  negroes,  merely  on  account 


[316] 


20 


of  their  color,  courtesies  and  indulgences  which  in  innumerable  instan¬ 
ces  they  withhold,  and  properly  withhold,  from  their  white  fellow  cit¬ 
izens.” 

Here  is  tlm  prejudice  well  stated  and  well  defended r,  by  a  champion 
of  the  abolition  cause ;  to  meet  and  obviate  which  the  separation  of 
the  races  was  devised  by  the  colonization  society. 

The  free  man  of  color  can  never  be  a  man  so  long  as  he  remains 
amongst  white  men,  they  will  permit  him  to  be  a  servant  or  vassal,  but 
no  more.  About  this  kind  of  philanthropy  there  is  a  spice  of  selfish¬ 
ness  that  reminds  us  of  some  fine  plantations  owned  by  very  benevolent 
men ,  but  cultivated  by  half-starved  free  negroes. 

But  before  we  dismiss  this  point  we  will  say  one  word  to  the  man 
of  color  into  whose  hands  this  may  fall  ;  sir,  you  cannot  change  the 
state  of  things  that  now  exists,  without  a  revolution,  you  will,  there¬ 
fore,  act  unwisely  to  rear  up  a  family  to  be  menials,  when  you  can  se¬ 
cure  for  them  the  lot  and  rights  of  freemen  by  removal.  But  if  de¬ 
signs  of  ulterior  revolution  prompt  you  to  remain  in  this  country,  with 
such  designs  good  men  can  have  no  sympathy.  Your  duty  is  to  meet 
this  difficulty  in  the  spirit  of  peaceful  compromise,  and  demand  a  re¬ 
moval  which  our  wise  and  benevolent  statesmen  will  grant,  not  in  an 
unkind  spirit,  but  in  the  spirit  that  actuated  the  ancient  patriarchs 
Abraham  and  Lot. 

It  is  time  the  free  people  of  color  were  constituted  an  independent 
commonwealth,  for  they  have  advanced  so  far  in  the  work  of  improve¬ 
ment  that  they  are  fully  able  to  conduct  the  state  machinery  of  a  na¬ 
tion. 

If  it  were  possible  to  erect  a  respectable  and  truly  independent 
commonwealth  of  colored  men  en  the  continent,  we  should  do  so 
without  delay.  But  we  fear  the  thing  is  impracticable  at  this  time, 
and  we  fear  that  the  future  will  not  be  more  favorable,  because  the 
grasping  disposition  of  the  Anglo-American  race  claims  the  whole 
North  American  continent  as  the  field  of  his  future  enterprise  and  ex¬ 
pansion.  Nor  will  the  jealous  and  haughty  south  tolerate  the  erection 
of  a  commonwealth  of  colored  men  on  American  soil.  It  is  with  sor¬ 
row  that  we  express  our  conviction  that  there  is  no  rest  for  the  inde¬ 
pendent  colored  man  on  this  wide  continent.  The  Mexican  and  In¬ 
dian  are  more  warlike  than  he,  and  yet  they  have  not  been  able  to 
maintain  their  independence,  or  to  preserve  their  lands  from  viola¬ 
tion  ;  and  it  would  require  a  standing  army  of  many  thousand  men 
to  protect  the  border  of  a  colored  nation.  And  again,  it  would  ever 
be  a  sickly  plant  in  the  shade  of  our  gigantic  Anglo-American  repub¬ 
lic  It  is  doubtful  whether  it  could  maintain  its  independence  as  a 
sovereign  nation.  In  short,  it  must  forever  be  a  contemptible  thing  in 
..contrast  with  the  United  States. 

Viewing  this  subject  as  we  do  in  the  light  of  religious  truth,  we  will 
say,  in  a  word,  that  we  think  Divine  Providence  needs  the  colored 
people  of  this  land  elsewhere,  and  requires  not  their  national  estab¬ 
lishment  in  this  continent  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  out  His  plans. 

This  view  of  the  subject  constitutes  our  moral  argument : 


MORAL  ARGUMENT, 


For,  although  statesmen  may  plan,  and  fanatics  may  rave,  yet  God 
reigns,  and  will  rule  and  overrule  all  things  to  this  end — the  conver¬ 
sion  ot  the  world  to  the  religion  of  Christ,  and  the  overthrow  of  kings, 
thrones  and  nobles  ;  to  the  establishment  of  a  pure  Christian  republi¬ 
canism,  in  which  men  shall  be  governed  by  principles  and  not  by 
power,  in  which  they  shall  acknowledge  no  king  but  God,  and  no  creed 
but  His  law. 

So  far  as  the  renovation  of  this  country  is  concerned,  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  can  effect  the  work  without  the  aid  of  other  races. 

But  it  is  not  so  with  Africa,  for  it  is  forbidden  ground  to  our  race, 
else  its  wealth  would  have  attracted  us  long  ago,  for  Africa  has  long 
been  noted  for  its  wealth;  its  mountains  abound  with  gold,  and  its 
productions  are  of  the  most  valuable  character.  But  God  has  re¬ 
served  that  land  for  the  colored  man,  and  the  finger  of  Providence 
points  to  its  shores  as  the  future  home  of  our  American  colored  men. 

God  requires  our  schooled, 'converted  and  enlightened  colored  men, 
that  they  may  scatter  the  leaven  of  Christianity  and  republicanism 
amongst  a  population  of  over  one  hundred  million  souls  ;  and  already 
has  the  work  been  begun  ;  a  few  thousand  noble-souled  and  indepen¬ 
dent  colored  men  have  taken  their  lives  in  their  hands  and  gone  forth 
on  their  mission,  and  under  the  fostering  care  of  their  Divine  Guide, 
they  have  been  instrumental  in  planting  the  foundation  of  a  Christian 
commonwealth  on  the  continent  of  Africa,  which  now  looms  up  from 
the  dark  horizon  of  that  benighted  land  as  a  bright  star  of  promise  to 
the  sons  of  Africa,  and  which  is  destined  to  be  their  polar  guide 
through  all  their  future  struggles  and  stormy  conflicts. 

And  such  will  be  the  attractive  power  of  the  young  republic  of  Li¬ 
beria,  that  in  a  few  years  its  enemies  will  not  be  able  to  turn  the 
growing  stream  of  emigration  away  from  it — but  it  will  swell  and 
spread  until  it  has  embraced  the  whole  colored  population  of  our  land 
within  its  influence. 

An  African  commonwealth  is  no  longer  a  theory,  but  it  is  a  fact. 
There  stands  Liberia!  the  glory  of  all  her  friends,  and  the  standing 
rebuke  of  all  her  slanderers. 

We  must  admire  the  wisdom  of  that  Providence  which  spread  a 
cloud  over  African  colonization,  and  enshrouded  the  young  colony  in 


22 


[  318  ] 

doubts  for  a  few  a  years.  But  now,  that  God  has  taken  away  the  veil, 
we  can  see  the  reason  of  this  strange  providence.  For  we  discover 
that  the  handful  of  pioneers  stationed  on  the  coast  of  Africa  were 
learning  how  to  act  and  govern.  God  was  teaching  them  the  difficult  " 
lesson  of  self-dependence  and  self-government.  And,  looking  back 
over  their  history,  we  can  see  each  successive  step  in  this  noble  work, 
until  at  last  they  stand  forth  before  the  world  graduated  republicans, 
who  have  acquired  such  self-confidence  that  they  can  now  receive 
thousands  of  raw  emigrants,  and  guide  them  safely  in  the  same  diffi¬ 
cult  work  of  self-dependence,  self-government.  The  foundation  of 
their  nation  being  settled,  and  their  institutions  being  planted,  they 
are  ready  to  co-operate  with  the  friends  of  the  African  in  this  land  in 
the  great  work  of  separating  the  races. 

The  work  of  transporting  the  colored  people  of  this  land  to  a  dis¬ 
tant  home  can  be  effected,  provided  both  races  are  agreed  on  the  sub¬ 
ject.  And  the  western  coast  of  Africa  is  the  most  convenient  point 
that  can  be  reached.  A  few  lines  of  transports  plying  regularly  be¬ 
tween  the  above  point  and  this  country  would  make  the  removal  easy 
and  pleasant — much  more  pleasant  and  agreeable  than  a  trip  to  Cali¬ 
fornia,  and  not  attended  with  as  much  labor,  danger,  or  expense.  The 
sum  of  $60  will  carry  a  man  from  this  land  to  Liberia,  and  furnish 
him  with  six  months3  provisions.  The  above  sum  will  hardly  buy  the 
California  mover  a  good  horse.  As  to  the  labor  and  danger  of  the 
two  trips,  the  balance  is  largely  in  favor  of  Liberia,  lor  the  constitu¬ 
tion  will  suffer  more  wear  and  tear,  by  two  fold,  in  a  California  expe¬ 
dition  than  it  will  in  a  Liberian  expedition,  arid  it  cannot  be  doubted 
that  twice  as  many  die  in  going  to  California  as  die  amongst  the  Libe¬ 
rian  emigrants. 

If  the  people  will  demand  of  the  general  government  that  the  At¬ 
lantic  be  bridged  with  a  few  lines  of  transports,  tens  of  thousands  oi 
free  colored  men  will  pour  across  to  their  new  home.  And  the  slave 
states,  ashamed  of  their  folly  and  oppression,  will  surrender  their 
slaves  into  the  hands  of  government  agents,  who  shall  set  them  free 
on  the  coast  of  Africa,  and  thus  for  a  few  millions  of  dollars,  this  land 
may  be  saved  from  the  scourge  of  civil  war,  and  millions  of  our  fel¬ 
low  men  restored  to  all  the  rights  of  men. 

Much  has  been  said  about  the  impossibility  of  carrying  off  all  the 
colored  people  of  our  land.  We  would  to  God  that  the  day  of  their 
exodus  had  come;  it  would  then  be  seen  whether  the  American  people 
have  energy  to  effect  the  work.  We  know  they  can  do  it  if  they  will^ 
and  that  man  pays  but  a  poor  compliment  to  the  character  of  his  race 
that  doubts  its  ability  on  this  point.  The  colored  people  of  this  land 
are  not  four  millions  in  numbers;  and  yet  four  millions,  if  free,  and  at 
the  disposal  of  the  friends  of  colonization,  could  be  transported  to 
Liberia  for  a  sum  equal  to  that  paid  out  for  the  Mexican  war,  which 
we  suppose  to  be  one  hundred  n  illion  dollars,  and  yet  this  sum  has 
been  paid,  or  nearly  so,  without  our  being  sensibly  the  poorer— few 
men  being  able  to  tell  when,  where,  or  how  they  paid  their  part  of 
that  bill.  And  if  we  are  not  mistaken,  the  American  people  are  ready 


V 


23  f  319  ] 

to  vote  any  sum  to  effect  a  peaceful  separation  of  the  races,  and  will 
rejoice  in  the  opportunity. 

In  the  meantime,  whilst  waiting  for  the  national  exodus  of  the  sons 
of  Africa,  a  separation  of  interests  and  institutions  tends  most  to  the 
peace  and  morality  of  the  races.  Of  this,  the  more  intelligent  color¬ 
ed  persons  are  convinced;  hence,  we  find  them  advocating  separate 
schools,  separate  churches,  separate  neighborhoods,  and,’  in  short, 
separate  society ;  and,  although,  they  seem  blind  to  the  manifest  ten¬ 
dency  of  this  movement,  yet  it  is  carrying  them  on  with  irrisistible 
power  to  the  sure  destiny  of  the  reasonable  and  conservative  portion 
of  the  colored  race,  which  we  fondly  hope  and  believe  will  be  a  sepa¬ 
rate  national  existence — and  which  we  hope  will  save  them  from  the 
horrors  of  the  lot  that  awaits  those  of  the  race  who  are  bent  on  revo¬ 
lution. 

If  this  last  point  is  considered  too  meagre,  I  herewith  transmit  the 
manuscript  of  an  address  made  by  me  to  the  joint  meeting  of  the  Illi¬ 
nois  State  Colonization  Society  and  the  ministers  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  during  the  session  of  said  conference,  held  in 
Springfield,  Oct.  16th,  1854,  and  place  it  at  the  disposal  of  the  com¬ 
mittee  to  whom  this  shall  be  referred. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

J.  MITCHELL, 


w 


1 


ADDRESS. 


African  colonization  is  a  creature  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  will  be  one 
of  its  greatest  glories  when  all  its  events  are  committed  to  the  record  of  his¬ 
tory.  As  an  enterprise,  it  has  for  its  mainspring  or  motive  power,  Christian  be¬ 
nevolence,  which  aims  at  doing  the  greatest  amount  of  good  to  the  greatest 
number.  We  believe  that  as  an  enterprise  it  has  been  called  into  being  by  the 
providence  of  God  to  meet  a  great  want  in  the  instrumentalities  required  to  ra¬ 
pidly  civilize  and  evangelize  the  heathen  world  ;  and  however  the  political 
economist  may  be  disposed  to  regard  it  as  a  mere  question  of  policy,  the  man 
of  faith  can  see  the  hand  of  the  Great  Ruler  therein  moulding  and  directing  all 
its  movements  and  developments  to  the  great  end  of  his  administration — the 
renovation  of  the  earth,  and  the  universal  dominion  of  his  Son. 

It  is  this  view  of  the  subject  that  gives  it  all  the  interest  with  which  Chris¬ 
tians  regard  it,  and  it  is  this  consideration  that  enables  the  American  Coloni¬ 
zation  Society  to  claim  the  sympathy  and  advocacy  of  the  good  in  all  sections 
of  the  land. 

In  advocating  colonization,  we  advocate  a  thing  neither  new  nor  evil.  Colo¬ 
nization  was  the  refuge  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  when  they  felt  the  pressure  of 
superior  power.  It  made  the  wilds  around  the  strands  of  Plymouth  vocal  with 
prayer  and  praise — it  has  cut  down  your  forests  and  peopled  your  wilderness — ■ 
it  is  even  now  giving  new  states  and  territories  to  our  confederacy.  Nor  is  it 
claiming  too  much  to  maintain  that  what  European  colonization  has  done  for  the 
continent  of  America,  African  colonization  will  do  for  the  continent  of  Africa. 
However,  in  advocating  African  colonization,  we  do  not  advocate  a  foray  with 
brand  and  blade  into  the  defenceless  country  of  a  neighbor,  but  we  advocate  a 
system  that  would  quench  the  fire  of  savage  war  and  turn  the  sword  into  an 
implement  of  husbandry.  We  have  no  crusade  to  preach  against  Turk  or  Pa¬ 
gan,  but  we  would  send  the  peaceful  armies  of  a  Christian  civilization  among 
the  habitations  of  cruelty  to  teach  the  arts  and  blessings  of  peace  ;  our  great 
object  is  to  benefit  Africa  and  the  African  by  transplanting  a  portion  of  our 
Christian  civilization  into  that  continent ;  to  effect  which,  Providence  has  plaeed 
abundant  material  at  our  disposal,  and  laid  a  political  and  national  necessity  on 
us  to  make  this  transplantation. 

By  a  singular  providence,  that  we  could  not  control  and  for  which  we  are  not 
responsible,  a  number  of  Africans  were  placed  amongst  the  colonists  of  the 
New  World  as  slaves  ;  those  Africans  have  grown  in  number  and  importance 
until  in  this  day  their  state  and  relation  to  society  has  become  the  great  ques¬ 
tion  in  American  politics,  and  will  continue  to  be  the  greatest  question  in  the 


26 


[  322  ] 

councils  of  the  state  and  of  the  church,  until  Providence  presents  a  solution  of 
its  difficulties.  We  say,  that  we,  in  this  age,  are  not  responsible  for  the  pre- 
sence  of  those  people  amongst  us — they  were  brought  here  by  others  in  past 
years,— but  we  are  responsible  for  their  state  and  condition  in  this  day,  and 
that  state  should  cause  searchings  of  heart  and  resolutions  to  act  in  their 
behalf. 

.  If  man  may  reason  on  the  providential  events  and  circumstances  which  trans¬ 
pire  in  the  history  of  a  race  or  nation,  we  may,  with  becoming  modesty,  draw 
a  few  inferences  from  the  history  of  the  negro  race  which  will  justify  the  per¬ 
mission  of  negro  slavery  as  found  amongst  the  English  and  American  people. 
We  say  justify  the  providence  of  God  in  the  case,  but  not  the  cupidity  of  the 
men  who  founded  the  slave-trade  and  entailed  the  evil  of  negro  slavery  on  us. 

The  first  consideration  that  will  justify  this  providence  is  the  state  of  Africa, 
which,  for  centuries  has  rested  under  the  judicial  displeasure  of  Heaven,  be¬ 
cause  of  the  gross  apostacy  of  their  fore-fathers,  who,  when  “they  knew  God 
glorified  him  not  as  God ;  they  glorified  him  not  as  God,  neither  were  thank¬ 
ful,  but  became  vain  in  their  imaginations,  and  their  foolish  heart  was  dark¬ 
ened  ;  professing  themselves  to  be  wise  they  became  fools,  and  changed  the 
glory  of  the  uncorruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like  to  corruptible  man,  and 
to  birds,  and  four-footed  beasts  and  creeping  things  ;  *  *  who  changed 

the  truth  of  God  into  a  lie,  and  worshipped  and  served  the  creature  more  than 
the  Cieator.  This  is  the  scriptural  history  of  Pagan  blindness  and  supersti¬ 
tion,  and  amongst  others  the  negro  race  became  the  subjects  of  the  divine  rep¬ 
robation,  and  their  land  the  land  of  darkness. 

This  land  is  a  wonderful  land.  For  ages  it  has  reposed  in  the  midst  of  the  na¬ 
tions,  covered  with  a  deep  gloom  that  has  proved  impenetrable  to  the  strongest 
rays  of  light ;  and,  although  encircled  with  the  agitations  and  waves  of  civili¬ 
zation,  which  have  laved  her  shores  on  every  side,  not  one  ripple  has  been 
created  on  the  broad  expanse  of  her  interior  barbarism  ;  there,  yet  she  lies 
unknowing  and  unknown.  Nor  is  this  want  of  knowledge  the  result  of  indif¬ 
ference  on  our  part,  for  effort  after  effort  has  been  made  to  penetrate  the  inte¬ 
rior,  with  but  partial  success,  for  the  few  explorers  who  periled  their  lives  were 
men  of  neive  rather  than  men  of  science,  so  that  little  reliable  information  has 
been  committed  to  the  record. 

But  of  one  thing  we  are  assured,  that  Africa  is  a  land  of  moral  death,  and 
her  “habitations  are  habitations  of  cruelty.”  Captain  Forbs,  of  the  English 
navy,  made  several  explorations  in  1850,  and  among  other  points  he  visited  the 
kingdom  of  Dahomey  at  the  time  its  king  was  preparing  to  water  the  graves  of 
the  royal  ancestors  with  blood,  in  keeping  with  the  usual  custom  of  the  country. 
In  this  annual  sacrifice  hundreds  of  human  victims  have  been  known  to  suffer 
death,  and  on  this  occasion  he  saw  no  less  than  twenty-three  persons  sacrificed 
in  the  most  barbarous  and  cruel  manner. 

Fiom  the  same  work  from  which  we  derive  the  above  information,  we  quote 
the  following  extract  in  reg'ard  to  the  trade  of  Dahomey  in  the  commodity  of 
slaves  .  ‘The  king,  by  murderous incrusions  against  his  neighbors,  seized  about 
nine  thousand  victims  annually.  He  sold  about  three  thousand  of  those  di¬ 
rectly  on  his  own  account  and  gave  the  rest  chiefly  away  to  his  troops  who  sold 
them  ,  a  duty  of  five  dollars  being  paid  on  each  slave  exported,  afforded  him 
altogether  a  revenue  of  about  three  hundred  thousand  dollars.” 

The  British  officer,  who  visited  his  court  to  persuade  him  to  abandon  the  slave 
trade,  had  a  serious  matter  to  argue  against.  The  king  stated  his  case  strongly. 
“The  form  of  my  government”  said  he,  “cannot  be  suddenly  changed  without 
causing  such  a  revolution  as  would  deprive  me  of  my  throne  and  throw  the 
kingdom  into  anarchy.  I  am  very  desirous  to  acquire  the  friendship  of  Eng- 


27  [  323  ] 

land.  I  and  my  army  are  ready  at  all  times  to  fight  the  queen’s  enemies  and 
to  do  anything  the  English  government  may  ask  me,  except  to  give  up  the 
slave  trade.  No  other  trade  is  known  to  my  people.  Palm  oil,  it  is  true,  is 
^  engaging  the  attention  of  some  of  them,  but  it  is  a  slow  method  of  making 
money  and  brings  only  a  very  small  amount  of  duties  into  my  coffers.  The 
planting  of  cotton  and  coffee  has  been  suggested,  but  that  is  slower  still ;  the 
trees  have  to  grow  and  I  may  be  in  my  grave  before  I  reap  any  benefit  from, 
them,  and  what  am  I  to  do  in  the  meantime  ?  Who  will  pay  my  troops  ?  Who 
will  buy  arms  and  clothes  for  them  ?  And  who  will  give  me  supplies  of  rum, 
gunpowder  and  cloth  for  my  annual  customs  ?  I  hold  my  power  by  the  obser  ¬ 
vance  of  the  time  honored  customs  of  my  forefathers.  I  should  forfeit  it  and 
entail  on  myself  a  life  full  of  shame  and  a  death  full  of  misery  by  neglecting 
them.  The  slave  trade  has  been  the  ruling  principle  with  my  people.  It  is  the 
source  of  their  glory  and  their  wealth  ;  their  songs  celebrate  their  victories,  and 
the  mother  lulls  the  child  to  sleep  with  notes  of  triumph  over  an  enemy  reduced 
to  slavery.  Can  I  by  signing  such  a  treaty  change  the  sentiments  of  a  whole 
people  ?  It  cannot  be  done.” 

Such  is  Africa,  and  such  being  the  general  state  of  the  customs  and  people 
of  Africa,  it  will  be  unwise  to  question  or  quarrel  with  that  providence  which 
took  a  handful  of  the  hundred  million  souls  and  placed  them  under  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  the  Anglo  Saxon  race,  not  for  purposes  of  perpetual  service,  but  for 
purposes  of  mercy,  by  their  instruction  in  the  arts  and  institutions  of  civiliza¬ 
tion.  Where,  let  us  ask,  can  he  find  the  best  school  to  answer  his  ends  ?  In 
this  selection  will  he  not  be  regulated  mainly  by  the  purity  of  the  national 
faith  of  the  parties  chosen  ?  We  think  that  this  is  the  rule  that  determined  the 
choice  of  the  national  seminary.  Nor  is  it  claiming  too  much  to  maintain  that 
Protestant  England  and  her  noble  coadjutor,  the  United  States,  present  Chris¬ 
tian  institutions  and  civilization  of  the  purest  type  and  greatest  promise,  and 
such  in  the  order  of  Providence  have  mainly  been  made  the  instructors  of  those 
degraded  strangers  from  Africa.  In  taking  this  position,  we  must  not  be  un- 
v  derstood  as  in  any  sense  justifying  the  cupidity  of  those.who  founded  the  slave 
trade  ;  but  we  would  illustrate  the  wisdom  of  that  Providence  which  overruled 

that  cupidity  for  good.  .  ■  ) 

The  negro  race  are  here  in  a  state  of  pupilage  ;  this  is  the  mildest  view  we 
dare  take  "of  American  slavery.  But,  while  we  admit  this,  we  claim  that  the 
days  of  their  majority  are  at  hand,  and  that  it  is  time  they  were  separated  from 
us  and  constituted  an  independent  people.  In  this  connection  may  we  not  ex¬ 
press  the  hope  that  that  modern  view  of  slavery  which,  we  believe,  is  confined 
to  a  few  designing  men  at  the  south,  which  claims  a  perpetuity  xoi  slavery  as 
a  blessing  and  a  thing  that  should  be  extended  as  such  over  lands  uncursed 
with  this&blight.  The  time  has  come  for  us  to  throw  up  the  embankments  of 
calm  opposition  to  the  overflowing  scourge,  and  in  the  language  of  decision  to 
say  “thus  far  shalt  thou  come  but  no  farther.”  It  is  useless,  it  is  unwise  to 
parley  with  this  question;  slavery  must  and  will  be  removed  by  the  generous 
impulses  of  a  free  and  enlightened  people.  The  question  will  come  home  to 
us  with  more  force,  what  will  we  do  with  the  freed  men  ?  what  can  be  done 
with  them  ?  We  answer  in  a  word,  form  them  into  an  independent  nation 
aid  them  in  removing  to  a  separate  home —  a  home  on  this  continent,  or  a  home 
r  in  Africa.  We  believe  that  the  providential  indications  are  in  favor  of  the  lat¬ 
ter  inasmuch  as  more  good  can  be  performed  by  the  freed  men  on  the  latter 
than  on  this.  The  Anglo  American  race  are  equal  to  the  regeneration  of  Africa. 
By  their  removal  you  transplant  your  own  ever-living,  ever-working  system  of 
*  Christian  civilization  into  African  soil.  And  this  Christian  civilization  is  a  sys¬ 
tem  of  enginery  wonderful  in  its  structure  and  singularly  powerful  in  its  work- 


[  324  ] 


28 


tags.  Its  motive  power  is  composed  of  mingled  cupidity  and  benevolence  ; , 
like  all  things  earthly  it  is  thus  composed  of  good  and  bad,  but  such  as  it  is,  ; 
this  enginery  of  American  civilization  works  with  fearful  force  and  produces 
great  results.  It  receives  the  most  heterogeneous  elements  from  abroad  and 
grinds  them  into  a  homogeneous  mass.  It  receives  the  subjects  of  kings,  em- 
perors  and  lords  deeply  scared  and  marked  with  the  imprint  of  caste,  and  with 
one  sweep  of  its  enginery  effaces  every  mark  and  token  of  their  former  state 
and  places  the  stamp  of  republicanism  on  them.  They  come  with  their  time 
honored  notions  of  religion  and  corrupt  theology,  and  before  they  are  aware  of 
the  process  of  transformation,  going  on  their  errors  have  been  swept  away  by 
the  friction  of  evangelical  truth.  Such  are  the  workings  of  your  Christian  civ¬ 
ilization  ;  it  goes  on  digesting  nation  after  nation  and  overspreading  the  land, 
making  all  tribes,  not  positively  repulsive  to  you,  one  people  and  one  power. 
It  is  this  system  we  propose  transfering  to  Africa  by  our  scheme  of  colonization, 
knowing  that  the  good  elements  thereof  will  work  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
grosser  ones  will  be  held  in  check  by  his  power. 

It  will  plant  witnesses  of  civilization  and  religious  truth  on  that  continent 
such  as  will  confound  the  enemies  of  the  African  race  in  all  lands,  and  will 
prove  their  capability  for  self-government,  and  their  susceptibility  for  religious 
improvement. 

In  the  work  of  successful  colonization  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  has  been  honored 
above  all  other  modern  races.  France  has  failed  in  every  attempt,  although 
such  attempts  have  been  frequently  made.  She  first  settled  the  Canadas,  like¬ 
wise  Louisiana  and  most  of  the  West  India  islands,  but  her  colonies  have  given 
place  to  others  ;  and,  if  we  may  infer  the  future  from  the  past,  we  presume  the 
colonies  on  the  northern  shore  of  Africa,  in  the  Barbary  States,  will  likewise 
fail.  Providence  wills  not  her  success,  for  successful  French  colonization  would 
be  an  extension  of  French  infidelity  and  lax  morality, 

Nor  has  Spain,  once  the  powerful  and  wealthy  colonizer  of  the  New  World, 
been  more  successful.  It  is  true,  there  is  more  of  God,  more  of  divine  faith 
in  the  gross  religious  system  of  Rome,  as  held  by  Spain,  than  in  the  rational¬ 
ism  of  France  ;  yet  there  is  too  little  of  either  in  Spanish  colonization  to  pro¬ 
cure  for  it  the  favor  of  heaven,  or  that  divine  blessing  which  will  cause  national 
institutions  to  take  root.  The  reverse  is  true  of  English  and  American  coloni¬ 
zation  ;  with  expansive  power  it  covers  country  after  country,  and  wherever  it 
takes  permanent  root  grows  up  a  witness  for  the  Lord.  God  and  his  truth 
are  in  English  and  American  colonization.  Yes,  God  and  his  truth  are  in  the 
colonization  system  now  practiced  by  the  American  Colonization  Society,  and 
through  the  divine  blessing  we  have  succeeded  in  rearing  on  African  soil  a  na¬ 
tional  witness  of  all  that  is  good  and  valuable  in  our  own  nation. 

Thirty-three  years  ago  Liberia  was  founded  by  the  labors  of  some  of  the 
best  men  of  that  day.  Her  advent  was  hailed  with  joy  by  the  ministers  of 
Christ  and  the  church  of  God.  Much  faith  and  much  confidence  were  exer¬ 
cised  in  regard  to  the  final  result,  which  faith  has  not  been  in  vain,  and  which 
confidence  has  not  been  misplaced.  That  little  colony  has  grown  to  be  an  inde¬ 
pendent  people,  covering  by  their  jurisdiction  a  line  of  African  coast  seven 
hundred  miles  long,  and  extending  their  laws  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  thou¬ 
sand  natives,  and  with  their  laws  and  rule  Christianity  becomes  extended  like¬ 
wise. 

In  a  report  made  by  Mr.  McKay,  a  colored  man,  who  lately  visited  Liberia 
as  an  agent  of  the  Indiana  State  Board  of  Colonization,  we  find  the  following 
statement  in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  Liberian  : 

“The  inhabitants  are  contented  and  happy,  and  while  many  of  them  are 
quite  wealthy,  they  are,  as  a  general  rule,  doing  well.  They  are  decidedly  a 


29 


[  325  ] 


We  therefore  ask  of  all  good  men 
regard  to  Liberia. 


in 


,  Religious  people  ;  a  greater  proportion  of  them  being  adherents  of  the  different 
'  ^lurches  than  is  usually  found  in  any  other  community.  And  the  state  of 
morals  is  superior  to  that  of  any  other  place  I  have  ever  been  in.  I  heard  no 
^Urofane  swearing  among  them,  nor  did  I  witness  any  intemperance. ” 

®  Such  are  the  people  coming  into  power  and  notice,  and  our  conclusion,  drawn 
I  from  this  wdiole  subject  is,  that  Liberia  is  worthy  of  the  sympathy  and  support 
of  good  men  ;  she  should  have  their  prayers  for  final  success  ;  she  should  have 
their  gifts  to  foster  her  in  her  hour  of  weakness  ;  and  she  should  have  her  in¬ 
fluence  in  the  halls  of  legislation  to  secure  national  support.  Until  good  men 
throughout  our  nation  are  of  one  mind  on  the  subject  of  Liberia,  men  in  power 
will  not  do  justice  to  that  infant  republic, 
that  they  become  of  one  mind — have  but  one  purpose 
And  surely  wdth  great  propriety  may  we  make  this  request  of  the  ministers  of 
Christ  and  those  who  are  actuated  by  Christian  principles. 

Some  misapprehension  exists  in  regard  to  the  origin  of  Liberian  colonization 
and  the  intentions  of  its  projectors,  which  wTe  consider  it  our  duty  to  correct. 
Shortly  after  the  wTar  of  independence,  the  English  found  themselves  encum¬ 
bered  with  a  fewr  thousand  fugitive  slaves,  who  had  ran  away  from  their  mas¬ 
ters  during  the  war  and  had  joined  the  British  army.  Those  accompanying 
the  fragments  of  the  British  forces  on  their  return  to  England  became  an  en- 
cumbrance  to  British  society,  to  remedy  which,  the  colony,  Sierra  Leone,  was 
formed  and  settled.  And  the  actors  in  this  case  were  none  other  than  Clark¬ 
son,  Sharp,  and  such  men  as  are  known  to  us  as  the  advocates  of  West  India 
emancipation.  From  this,  it  appears  that  England  set  the  example  twenty-five 
years  before  Liberia  was  founded;  but  like  causes  will  produce  like  effects. 
The  freed  men  of  the  United  States  becoming  numerous  under  the  process  of 
the  system  of  gradual  emancipation  adopted  by  the  older  states,  good  men 
in  this  land  sought  a  remedy  for  the  evils  of  two  conflicting  races  by  the  sepa- 
*  ration  and  the  colonization  of  the  sufferers.  Thus  African  colonization  origin¬ 
ated.  The  best  of  men  in  the  United  States  have  fostered  it,  and  Liberia  is  the 
only  nation  wdiich  can  claim  to  be  the  offspring  of  Christian  benevolence.  Min¬ 
isters  of  Christ  dug  the  foundations  and  laid  them  deep  with  prayers  and  Chris¬ 
tian  hope.  Ministers  of  Christ  have  reared  the  superstructure  and  watched 
with  deep  solicitude  as  stone  after  stone  settled  to  its  place  in  the  fabric.* 

Christian  ministers  still  have  prayers  and  gifts,  and.  a  word  of  advocacy  for 
Liberia,  and  we  pity  the  narrow  mind,  though  found  in  a  minister,  whose  range 
of  thought  does  not  comprehend  the  value  of  that  republic  to  the  cause  of  Chris¬ 
tianity.  And  we  must  regard  the  antagonism  to  colonization  as  an  antagonism 
to  Christian  expansion  and  the  extension  of  Christ’s  kingdom.  We  maintain 
that  no  Christian,  no  republican  should  oppose  Liberia  or  the  friends  who  are 
in  honesty  laboring  to  foster  her. 

In  1822,  Monrovia,  the  capital  of  the  republic,  was  founded  on  Cape  Me- 
feinada,  the  site  of  a  slave  factory,  from  which  thousands  of  slaves  had  beeu 
annually  shipped.  From  that  period  the  progress  of  the  settlement  has  been 
onward — onward  has  the  freed  man  passed  from  one  degree  of  self-improve¬ 
ment  to  another  until  he  has  become  independent  of  the  white  race  in  all 
things — the  people  of  Libei  ia  are  independent  men,  and  the  only  truly  inde¬ 
pendent  men  of  the  negro  race  on  the  earth. 

There  was  a  wisdom  in  that  providence  that  cast  a  cloud  over  Liberia  for  a 
time  and  made  colonization  unpopular ;  during  that  time  the  pioneers  on  the 

\V — - - - -  ‘  '  ‘ 

*Dr.  Robert  Finley,  Dr.  Alexander  and  Bishop  Mead,  were  among  the  projectors  of  che  American  coloni¬ 
st:.  nation  Society  And  in  laying  the  foundation  of  the  settlement  on  the  African  coast,  Rev.  .1.  J«  Miller,  Rev. 
■m.  Bacon,  Rev.  Mr.  Andrus,  Rev.  H.  Session  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Holton,  were  among  the  martyrs  to  the  cause 
African  independence  and  the  elevation  of  the  negro  race. 


[  326  ] 


30 


¥ 


coast  of  Africa  were  learning  to  think,  act  and  be  self-dependent ;  and  where 
they  had  thus  learned,  and  the  foundations  of  society  in  their  young  state  had 
-  settled,  God  removed  the  cloud  and  they  now  stand  forth  before  the  world,  a  y 
state  worthy  of  the  country  which  reared  them.  Of  Liberia,  America  will  , 
never  be  ashamed. 

But  Liberia  is  yet  young  and.  feeble,  and  her  settlements  are  widely  scattered  ’* 
along  a  coast  of  seven  hundred  miles,  yet  infested  with  the  slavers  and  cursed 
by  the  cupidity  of  the  white  man.  The  lastest  accounts  show  the  slave  trade  to 
be  yet  active  and  prosperous  and  requiring  further  check,  What  shall  we  do  ? 
Shall  we-  abandon  Liberia?  Shall  we  withdraw  the  fostering  hand  at  the  time 
she  needs  it  most?  Oh,  no!  Let  us  renew  our  efforts  and  be  more  liberal  in 
the  plans  we  devise  for  the  redemption  of  Africa,  for  the  suppression  of  the 
slave  trade,  and  the  spread  of  our  American  civilization.  There  is  work  enough 
here  for  a  nation,  and  it  is  a  work  worthy  of  a  nation’s  hand.  Our  nation,  as 
such,  should  become  the  patron  of  this  enterprise,  and  each  state  in  the  confed¬ 
eracy  should  select  some  point  on  the  African  coast  on  which  to  bestow  labor 
and  "attention.  Your  sister  state,  Indiana,  has  made  colonization  state  policy, 
and  we  ask  the  same  favor  of  Illinois,  not  only  in  view  of  the  wants  of  your 
own  free  people  of  color,  but  because  we  require  your  moral  power  and  influ¬ 
ence  as  a  state  in  the  halls  of  congress.  We,  therefore,  respectfully  suggest 
that  plans  for  action  be  now  laid  down,  and  express  the  hope  that  they  will  be 
vigorously  prosecuted. 


j 


